The application of microencapsulated phase-change materials to nylon fabric using direct dual coating method

The fabrication of functional textiles able to provide thermal regulation and comfort for the body has attracted increasing interest in recent years. This research investigated fabric coatings containing energy absorbing, temperature stabilizing, phase-change material microcapsules (PCMMcs), and their methods of application. Specifically, a coated fabric was directly prepared by a dual-type coating method, in which the PCMMcs were dispersed in a polyurethane coating solution with no binder. The thermal performances of the dual-coated samples were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, and their physical characteristics were examined by scanning electron microscopy, thermal vision camera, porosity, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and water entry pressure (WEP) analyses. Furthermore, the microclimate characteristics of the thermally enhanced fabrics were investigated under experimental conditions using a human-clothing-environment (HCE) simulator system. The study results confirmed the superior performance of the dual-coated fabrics in terms of thermal regulation and body comfort, compared with those coated by the dry or wet coating method, because of the improved WEP, WVTR, and thermal performance. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.